Pocketknife



June 21, R, El BRQWN 1,864,011

POGKETKNIFE Filed Aug. 5, 1931 Patented .lune 21, 1932 ROBERT E. BROWN, F CLEAN, NEW 'YORK POVCKETKNIFE Application led August 3, 1931. Serial No. 554,900.

This invention relates tocutlery and more particularly and blades pivotally mounted for movement into and out of a closed position. At the present time pocketl knives have their blades yieldably held in anopened or a closed position by a spring which extends longitudinally between side plates of the handle along the back thereof with itsends engaging the heels or tangs of the blades. Therefore the blades must be relatively narrow to prevent them from being dulled by their cutting edges contacting` with the spring when the blades are I closed. It has also been found that dust and dirt have a tendency to collect in end portions of the handle land prevent the blades from opening properly and that it is necessary to have the spring fit accurately in order toobtain a perfect relation between the blade and spring.

Therefore one object of this invention is to provide a pocket knife having improved springs which extend longitudinally of the handle at opposite sides of the blades and serve not only as springs to yieldably resist opening and closing of the blades but also take the place of side plates forming part of a handle, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture and also permitting the knifev tobe easily and quickly assembled. Y

Another object of the invention is to so connect the resilientside plates with the ltangs of the blades that whenablade is opened or closed, the side plates will first be extended longitudinally and then contract and return to their original positions and serve very effectively to vyieldably resist openingor closing of a blade without causing wear upon the tangs of the blades.

Another object of the invention is to permit longitudinal` movementV of the resilient side plates to be guided during expansion and contraction thereof by pins which, in addition to serving as guides for the resilient "7 plates, also serve as fasteners for 4face plates of the knife handle. Y

Another object of -the invention is to so form the face plates that their marginal portions will bear against side faces of the "'0 tangs ofthe blades and serve to prevent dust to a pocket knife having a handle and dirt from entering end portions of the knife handle.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a view showing a knife of the improved construction in side elevation with one of the lface `plates removed and the securing pins for the facing plates shown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the knife along the line 2 2 of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the resilient side plates which serve as springs to yieldably resist opening and closing of the blades. t

Y rlhe improved knife has a pair of blades 1 which when closed exten-d from opposite ends of the handle ywith their cutting edges spaced from eachother. The blades enter the handle through opposite side edge portions thereof which are open and each blade extends longitudinally of the handle from its tang or heel 2 and terminates in spaced relation to the tang and cutting edge of the other blade as shown in Figure l in order that there will be no danger Yof the blades becoming dulledby striking each other when closed. Atopposite sidesof the blades are disposed yl'olates which `are preferablyy stamped fromv resilient sheet metal such as spring steel and therefore can be very cheaply made.V The tangs project beyond the ends and sides of the plates as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

These plates take the place of the side plates usually employed when forming ya knife hand-le and have sutlicient thickness to vimpart the necessary strength to the handle.

Each plate is substantially oblong in shape and formed with arcuate end edges as shown in Figure 3 and near its ends is punched to form circulary openings 4 located -between slots 5 and 6 which extend longitudinally of the plate. The intermediate portion of each plate is cut from its opposite side edges as shown at 7 thereby forming a spring portionv 8 having its leaves extending transversely of the plate and permitting the plate to be extended longitudinally when the blades are opened or closed.

Face plates 9, which may be formed of celluloid, metal or any other desired material, are disposed in covering relation to the resilient side plates 3 and correspond in length to the distance between the outer ends of the heels or tangs 2 of the blades when closed. F langes 10 which extend entirely about margins of the faceplates proj ectinwardly therefrom and since the face plates correspond in width to the diameter of the tangs,.the flanges will bear against marginal portions o'f the tangs. y

Therefore when the pins 11 and 12 are inserted and heads formed at their ends to firm'- ly hold the face plates in place, the resilient side plates will be disposed' in pockets formed in the face plates by the flanges-as shown in Figure 2 and permitted. toA easily-slide longitudinally between thel face plates andl the tangs y of the blades. rIhe pins 11 pass through openings formed centrally of the tangs of the blades in order to serve as pivots for theblades and are also engaged through the slots 5 of the side plates. The pins 12 pass through the slots 6 and together with the pins 11 serve to prevent transverse movement of the side plates and guide longitudinal movement thereof when they extend and then contract during opening or` closing of the blades. 'i

The Yopenings 4.- of the side plates receive the' end portions ofvpins 13 which extend through arcuate slots 14 formed in the tangs ofthe blades and by'an inspection of Figure 1Y it will be readily seen thatk when a blade is moved towards an opened position, a pin 13 will be moved longitudinally through the slot 14 of the blade thereby settin g up a cam action which will cause the resilient side plates to be extended longitudinally until the blade has been half opened and thereby yieldably resist opening of the blade'. During the remainder of the opening motion, the resilient plates will contract and exert a' pulling action upon the pin 13 which will retainthe blade in an opened-*position and yieldably resist rmovement of the bladetowards a olosed'position. rlhe same action takes place when either blade is opened and ifV so desired, one

blade may be closed.

While one blade has been shown at each end of the handle, it will beunderstood that additional blades may be provided or a knife formedV with a single blade in which case a filler disc will be used atr the other end of the handle to take the place of the tangof a blade opened'before the other is land ret-ain the side plates in proper spaced relation to each other.

What is'claimed is: 1. vA knife having pivotally mounted blades, and longitudinally expansible plates extending between said blades with their end portions overlapping side faces of the blades and yieldably resisting opening and closing of the blades.

2. A knife having pivotally mounted blades, and a longitudinally expansible spring extending between tangs of the blades and overlapping side faces thereof whereby the spring will be expanded when eitherblade is movedto opened and closed positions and yieldably resist such movement.

3. In. a knife, a handle having face plates, blades having their tangs disposed between endportions thereof and provided with pivot pins extending through openings in the face plates, springsV at opposite sides of said blades extending longitudinally of the face plates, and camy connections between ends of the springs and tangs ofthe bladesto expand the springs when the blades are opened and closed and yieldably resist such movement.

4. In a knife, a handle having faceplates, blades having their tangs dispOsed between end portions thereof and provided with pivot pins extending through openings in the face plates, plates of resilient material extendingY longitudinally of the handle at oppositesides of the blades and constituting longitudinally extensible springs, and means to extendy the plates when the blades are opened and closed and yieldably resist such movement.

5. In a knife, ahandle having face plates, blades having their tangs disposed between end portions thereof and provided with pivot pins extending through openings in the face plates, plates of resilient material extending longitudinally of the handle at opposite sides of the blades and having their intermediate portions cut to form longitudinally extensible springs, cam connections between ends of the plates and tangs of the blades to extend the springs when the blades are opened and closed and yieldably resist such movement. p

6. In a knife, a handle having face plates, blades having their tangs disposed between the face plates and provided with pivot pins extending through openings in the face plates, platesjof resilient material extending longitudinally of the handle at opposite sides of the blades and constituting longitudinally extensible springs, ends of the plates being formedl with longitudinally extending sl'ots slidably receiving said pins to guide `movement of the plates when the springs expand and contract, and cam connections Y between the resilient plates and tangs of the blades to expand the springs when the blades are openedj and closed and yieldably resist suchmovement of the blades.

'7. In a knife, a handle having. face plates, 1

blades -having their tangsdisposed between said plates and provided with pivot pins having theirv ends'engagedextending through openings in theV face plates, plates of resilient material extending 'longitudinally of the handle at opposite sides of the blades and constituting longitudinally extensible springs, ends of the plates being formed with longitudinally extending slots slidably lreceiving said pins to guide movement of the plates when .the springs expand and contract, arcuate slots being formed in the tangs of the blades, and pins carried by the resilient plates and engaged through thearcuate slots to exert pull upon the plates and cause the springs to be expanded when the blades are opened and closed and yieldably resist such movement of the blades.

8. A knife having movable blades, and a longitudinally expansible plate extending between said blades and operatively connected therewith for yieldably resisting opening and closing of said blades.

9. A knife having movable blades, face plates forming apart of the knife, and longitudinally expansible plates interposed between the face plates and blades and o eratiely connected with the latter for yiel ably resisting opening and closing thereof. 10. A knife having a movable blade, a 1ongitudinally expansible plate, and a pin and cam connection between the expansible plate and blade whereby the plate will ex and when the blade is moved to opened or c osed positions and yieldably resist such movements.

l1. A knife having pivoted blades, face plates having pockets, longitudinally expansible plates seated in said pockets, pin and cam connections between the ends of the expansible plate and the pivoted ends of the blades whereby the plate will expand when the plates are moved to opened and closed positions and yieldably resist such movements, and means for guiding the expansible plate during the expansion and contraction thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT E. BROWN. [ns] 

